


Stranger

by Dawnweaver



Series: Dreamfast With Me [1]
Category: Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal Series - J.M. Lee, Sanders Sides (Web Series), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Dark Crystal AU, M/M, Multi, Panic Attack, idk what else to put here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:34:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25004740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dawnweaver/pseuds/Dawnweaver
Summary: The three suns are blinding for a Gelfling from the Caves of Grot. Virgil was lost, he was afraid, he just wanted to go home, but there may not be a home to go back to.  A kind stranger comes to his aid.
Series: Dreamfast With Me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810300
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Stranger

Virgil collapsed, he couldn’t breathe, everything from the sound of the breeze to the loud birds and other wildlife calls were much too loud. His feet were blistered and sore from this new terrain, so unlike the smooth stone of the caves. His eyes hurt from the brightness of the Three Brothers high above. Everything was terrible.

He’d been deep in the Tomb of Relics when the Arathim had attacked, he’d heard and felt the scuttling of thousands of spiders, the screams of the other Grottan. Virgil had tried to go to them, to help, but UrLii had stopped him, the Mystic had ushered him out through a collapsed tunnel that led to the surface, urging him to find Amri and his friends who had left through the same exit the day before. Distraught, confused, and blinded by the triple suns, he’d quickly lost Amri’s trail through the forest.

And now he’s here, lost and afraid, in middle of nowhere surrounded grass taller than he was with no home to go back to. Darkness encroached on the edges of his vision but not the comforting kind that the caves provided. Something was coming, he could feel the vibrations of it pounding across the ground, it was getting closer. It stopped and he heard another thud and someone running.

“Hey!” The stranger skidded to a stop beside him. They said something else but he heard was a garbled mess. The stranger touched him and he flinched away, the hand pulled away but quickly returned and a gentle voice spoke in his mind. I _’m sorry, I know this isn’t exactly polite to dreamfast without asking but I think this might be an exception. I’m doing my best to stay on the surface and not see anything you may not want to share. Can you hear me?_

_Ye-yeah…_

_Alright, honey, I need you to take a deep breath, okay? Can you do that for me?_ Virgil found himself following the stranger’s instructions, finally getting some much-needed air into lungs. He let it out slowly and continued with encouragement from the stranger as needed. Eventually, his breathing came back under control and his vision returned. The last of the three suns was finally beginning to set, eased the strain on his eyes.

“Hey there, are you with me now, honey?” The stranger finally came into view, a Spriton boy, maybe a year or two older than him, was crouched on the ground near where Virgil had fallen. He had tanned-skin, kind blue eyes, and long dark hair that was messily braided back. Virgil didn’t say anything but the stranger seemed to understand and smiled gently, “My name’s Patton, what’s yours?”

“Virgil,” He croaked.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Virgil,” said Patton, “Now, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but where did you come from? How’d you end up here at the edge of the Spriton Plains?”

Virgil’s eyes widened at that and whispered, “Am I really that far from home already? I don’t even remember crossing the river...”

“Well, I don’t know where your home is, but it certainly seems like you are.” Patton said with an apology on his tone. “You kinda look like you’re from Har’rar, we don’t get very many Silverling visitors in Sami Thicket, but I don’t think those are Vapran garments you’re wearing.”

“No, they’re not.” Virgil said trying his best sit up so he could be eye to eye. “I’m from Domrak in the Caves of Grot, I’m a Grottan, a Shadowling.”

“Oh, my goodness…” It was Patton’s turn to look shocked. “What are you doing out here? I didn’t think the Grottan ventured far from home much.”

“We don’t but…” Virgil trailed off and looked back toward where he guessed the Black River was. He stayed quiet as he remembered what had driven him out of his home in the first place.

“Did something happen?” Patton asked drawing his attention back to him. He looked extremely concerned but was quick to say, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want too. We just met so it’s understandable.”

“No, it’s alright, I’ll have to tell someone eventually.” Virgil said attempting to work himself up to say it out loud, “We were attacked…the Arathim, they just…invaded.” He heard Patton suck in a startled breath but he continued on. “urLii told me to find help but…if I’m really three days from home already...I don’t think there’s much I or anybody else can do…”

“Oh, oh, you poor thing,” Patton suddenly pulled him into a tight hug. Virgil stiffened at the sudden contact but it was comforting and he relaxed slightly. “I couldn’t imagine…” He pulled away and sniffled, “Sorry, probably should have asked first.”

Virgil shrugged. “I don’t know, there might be some hope, there’s a reason Maudra Argot’s the oldest Maudra around, if anybody could get at least some of the clan to safety it’d be her.”

Patton looked up at the sky, “It’s getting dark, you should come back to Sami Thicket with me, I’m sure Maudra Mera won’t mind. You look like you could use some warm food and a bed.”

“I don’t want to intrude on your Maudra’s hospitality.” Virgil said.

“Nonsense, you can stay with me, I live on the edge of the village anyway to be closer to the herds.” Patton stood up and held out a hand to Virgil. Virgil took it gratefully but as he stood the world tilted, three days without food or rest suddenly catching up with him, he stumbled. Patton steadied him, “Whoa there, good thing we’re not walking back to the village.”

Virgil gave him a look, not sure what that was supposed to mean. Patton ignored him, he brought his hands to his mouth and made a series of high-pitched trills. A bellow in the distance caught Virgil’s attention, his ears twitched at the sound and he turned toward it, a tall, lumbering creature was moving swiftly toward them on stilt like legs and with a flat whiskered face. It was a landstrider, Virgil had never actually seen one in person before, just seen images and passages about them in the Tomb of Relics. “I…uh…I’ve never ridden a landstrider before.” Virgil said, backing away slightly as the beast came closer.

“Don’t be nervous.” Patton grabbed his hand and guided Virgil over. “Tas is gentle, she won’t hurt you. I’ll help you climb up, if you need to you can grab onto one of the spines on her legs to help pull yourself up, it won’t hurt her.”

Virgil reached out hesitantly, placing his hand on the landstrider’s front leg. The great beast shuddered a little but otherwise didn’t move, he could feel the warmth of Tas’s leathery skin, and the connection that all the creatures of Thra had to the earth and the Crystal of Truth. Virgil took a breath before climbing up the landstrider’s tall leg. Growing up in Domrak and the twisting tunnels of Caves of Grot, he was usually an excellent climber, but three days without food and rest took its toll, but Patton was there immediately to help him if he faltered. He’s not exactly sure what he did do deserve the help of this kind stranger but he’d take what he could get.

Once he was settled on Tas’s back, Patton swiftly climbed up to sit in front of him. “Okay, landstriders are fast so hold on tight.” Patton said, “Alright, Tas, let’s go home!” Patton wasn’t kidding, Tas picked up speed very quickly, much faster than Virgil was anticipating, he jerked backwards and had to quickly wrap his arms around Patton’s middle to secure himself, ears flat against the side of his head, he pressed his face into the Spriton boy’s back.


End file.
